Sourcing LEDs

[RobSay]

Evening - Bit of a shot in the dark. It's not telescope specific but definitely astronomy related.

I've converted a couple of red light LED arrays using filters but I've a two torches that I want to switch the actual components. I'm struggling to find a source for these:

5mm diameter, 5V, integral resistor, high intensity (>1000mcd). I picked up a couple of 'standard intensity' components from Maplin but at ~8mcd there's not enough light to be useful. So I'm after a more exacting supplier than Maplin (or RS) - It's years since I last did this (pre-internet!) any suggestions / recommendations for good electronics supplies?

ta

Rob

[pete_l]

The integrated resistor is the tricky bit - they tend to be called "indicators" rather than plain old LEDs.

If you don't mind getting your soldering iron hot and soldering the resistors on (220 Ohm, for 5V) yourself, Bitsbox is a good supplier of common parts. their best attribute is that they only charge £1.50 P&P which, for small orders, can be more than the parts cost.

Otherwise try Rapid

[Gina]

The integrated resistor is the tricky bit - they tend to be called "indicators" rather than plain old LEDs.

If you don't mind getting your soldering iron hot and soldering the resistors on (220 Ohm, for 5V) yourself, Bitsbox is a good supplier of common parts. their best attribute is that they only charge £1.50 P&P which, for small orders, can be more than the parts cost.

Otherwise try Rapid

Useful alternatives to Maplin for components - thank you eg. they do 4 pin XLR connectors.

[Astrogeordie]

Hi Rob,

when we needed bright LEDs at work for a JWST related project (it was ground based test equipment to align a spectrograph with), we found led1.de. This German site has a variety of all sorts of LEDs in different colours and brightnesses.

Cheers,

Juergen

[yesyes]

I have to ask....

You are working on the JWST???

[martin_h]

You might find something here... LED Lighting For Cars, Bikes, and the Home

I use them and they are very good.

[RobSay]

Thanks for the pointers - Haven't found exactly what I need as yet but this interweb thing makes all this so much easier - no more flipping through huge out of date catalogues!

I'm OK with LED electronics but I was after integral resistors so I could do a direct replacement on a couple of headtorches - no space for circuit alterations. Got a couple of mini inspection lights also up for replacement LEDs - external resistors here so that's OK.

Juergen - thanks for LED Shop - LED Leuchten - LEDs portofrei bei LED1.de® - that's the widest selection and detailed spec I've come across so far.

Pete - Rapid/Bitsbox bookmarked as well

cheers

Rob

[RobSay]

when we needed bright LEDs at work for a JWST related project ...

JWST - that's quite impressive. I'm still hoping that's going to fly. Aside from the engineering of the thing itself, I quite like the L3 orbital solution.

My first tutor University worked on CLUSTER (CLUSTER II summary) - it was great to find out that all that sort of stuff was put together by real people! Made some of the theory real as well.

cheers

Rob

[Astrogeordie]

Hi Yesyes and Rob,

I work at the Centre for Advanced Instrumentation of Durham University where we made hardware for the JWST:

- The integral field unit for the NIRSPEC spectrograph. This consists of diamond machined aluminium optics that slices and effectively rasters an object so you can do spatial resolved spectroscopy.

- Optical ground support hardware that is/was used to align the NIRSPEC spectrograph. Here it was where we needed the LEDs as there were strict rules to the light sources that had to be monochromatic but no lasers (due to unwanted speckles) and non heat dissipative. We built several light sources (white and monochromatic green) which were fed to the spectrograph using optical fibres.

I really hope there is a solution for keepsaving the JWST. Maybe the US should rather stop these stupid wars than culling top notch science. The savings in space based activities are already substantial by giving up the Space Shuttle that - in my opinion - was a wrong move anyhow back in the 1970s.

[Gina]

Maybe the US should rather stop these stupid wars than culling top notch science.

I certainly agree there!

[yesyes]

I certainly agree there!

So do I !!!

[yesyes]

Hi Yesyes and Rob,

I work at the Centre for Advanced Instrumentation of Durham University where we made hardware for the JWST:

....

Thanks for clarifying that... That must be a really interesting job you have... *envy* ;-)

[garethmob]

iv bought from http://www.ledsupply.com/ (sorry i was going to get from led1.de but i got from these instead) althrough what i bought was a little.... too bright for astro they were white and blue (was going to design a lamp for my marine aquarium

they are very reliable, just watch out for inport tax....... i think i had to pay an extra £10 for them

edit : releised i was wrong so changed info

[Gina]

Originally Posted by Astrogeordie

I work at the Centre for Advanced Instrumentation of Durham University where we made hardware for the JWST:

....

That's great Quite a long wait to see the results of your work though. I had a career in research many many years ago but nothing as interesting as that. Being at the forefront or "cutting edge" is a wonderful place to be